Gliding shelves for deep refrigerators



Allg. 14, 1945. H KUCKEL 2,382,160

GLIDING SHELVES FOR DEEP REFRIGERATORS Filed May 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 GLIDING sHELvEs FOR DEEP REFRIGERATORS Filed May 18. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented A ug. 14, 1945 GLIDING SHELVES FOR DEEP REFRIGERATORS Herbert Kuckel, New Orleans, La.

Application May 18, 1944, Serial No. 536,175

6 Claims.

This invention relates to shelves and shelf supports, and more particularly to gliding shelves for use in refrigerators, ovens, or similar structures in which it is desirable to have an arrangement whereby the shelf can be partially withdrawn to expose the contents for ready removal, or totally withdrawn, when desired, for purposes of cleaning or to give additional height between shelves.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved gliding shelf structurewhich will be easy to manipulate and so constructed as to prevent dragging or scraping the supporting walls of the refrigerator and which can be either partially or wholly withdrawn with a minimum effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gliding shelf structure of the type indicated with positive means to prevent tilting of the shelf when partially withdrawn.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved shelf supporting structure adapted to be used selectively as desired to support a gliding shelf alone, a gliding shelf in association with a lower safety shelf or to support a stationary shelf.

Further objects will more particularly appear in the course of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-section through a conventional refrigerator, showing the present invention installed;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken substantially on line 2-2 on Figure 1, in which the left-hand or` forward side is shown in cross-section to illustrate the supporting roller. A small medial portion illustrates the forward supporting lug for the stationary shelf and the right-hand end shows in elevation, the rear of the supporting bracket, and side rail of the gliding shelf Figure 3 is a front elevation broken away medially, showing the left-hand side of the supporting structure, stationary shelf, and gliding shelf in elevation and showing on the right-hand side a vertical cross-section illustrating the rear construction of the supporting structure, stationary shelf and gliding shelf; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end of a supporting device and the rear left-hand corner of the improved gliding shelf in position to be lowered into engagement with the supporting device.

Referring to the drawings, the side walls of the refrigerator are illustrated at to which side walls are secured shelf-supporting devices 2 of angle cross-section, having one flange -provided with holes 32 adapted to receive screws to secure the device to the refrigerator wall and having the other flange, when in position, arranged to extend horizontally substantially the depth of the refrigerator. The horizontal flange 3 of the supporting device 2 is notched at its forward end as at 9 to accommodate a supporting roller I0. The vertical attachment flange 2 isprovided on its lower edge with a plurality of downwardly directed ears I9, one at each end and one medially of its length, and to the two rear ears 4 are secured by welding, brazing or soldering, nutlike members 5 having central threaded orifices 6 adapted to accommodate attachment screws. The two rear members 5 have parallel side walls for a purpose hereinafter explained. A similar member 5' is secured to the forward ear 4 but its shape is immaterial, as it merely provides a support for the screw I upon which the roller Il is mounted. Adjacent the rear-end of the supporting device 2 the slide or horizontal flange 3 is notched as at 'l and the rear end of the flange 2 is turned inwardly at right angles to provide an abutment stop 8.

The gliding shelf comprises essentially two side members 20 of channel cross-section, which side members have a portion of the outer rear wall of each bent over to bridge the channel and constitute a slide surface 24. This bent-over portion 24 is preferably formed with a projecting ear 25 which is bent up and against the opposite wall and brazed or soldered thereto, to provide rigidity. Ears 2| are also provided on the opposite or inner wall of each of the side members 20 and these ears 2| are bent inwardly to a horizontal position to provide supports for transverse frame members 22, the ends of which are notched as at 23 to seat over the ears 2| to which they are brazed or otherwise secured. Slat-like members 34 are supported upon the transverse members 22 to provide .a floor for the shelf.

To the rear end of each of the side shelf members 20 is secured a bracket 26 soldered or brazed to the inner wall of the side member and depending below the slide member 24, which bracket carries 'an outwardly directed lug 28 shaped and proportioned to conform with the rear notch cut `away from the supporting slide member 3. This outwardly directed lug 28, it will be noted, ls

- arranged parallelwith but spaced below the slide member 24. The bracket 26 also carries on its rear end a depending lug 3l which operates as a guide for the shelf when the shelf is being introduced into the refrigerator by contacting the inner edge of the horizontal slide member 3.

Supporting lugs for a stationary shelf are provided which comprise vertical ears I2 arranged parallel with but spaced from attachment portions I9, being connected therewith by a medial portion I3. 'I'hese members can be stamped from heavy gauge sheet metal and are preferably formed with rearwardly directed lugs I8 adapted to embrace and engage the side walls of the members 5 which are secured to the depending ears 4 medially and at the rear of the supporting members 2. With these lugs attached to the supporting member 2, an auxiliary stationary shelf supporting frame I6 adapted to seat over the upstanding lug portions I2 of the supporting brackets and having secured to the top thereof floorstrips I1.

With the structure thus described, the operation of the shelf is as follows:

With the shelf removed and when it is desired tionary safety shelf, but that, where desired, by the simple addition of the lugs I9 and ears I2 provision is made for such a supplementary stationary safety shelf where same is desired.

As suggested in Figure 3, side guards 33 may be used in connection with the gliding shelf as desired, which guards may be of` any conventional structure and secured to the gliding shelf by conventional means.

Variations in the precise construction and arrangement of the parts will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, but within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A gliding shelf comprising side members of inverted V-shape cross-section. having a slide portion extending across the bottom of the side members at the rear end of each of said members, transverse supporting members connecting said side members at the front and rear and flooring strips carried by said supporting members.

2. A gliding shelf as in claim 1,'with an outwardly directed lug spaced beneath the slide portion of each side member.

3. In combination, supporting slide rails each having a horizontal slide face, said slide faces Y being notched at their rear ends, a gliding shelf to apply it as a gliding shelf, the rear end will be introduced into the refrigerator with the outwardly directed flanges 28 in sliding contact with the upper face of the horizontal support members 3 and with the side members 20 of the shelf seated over the roller I0. The shelf will then be pushed backward in this position until the outwardly directed flange 28 is over the notched-out portion 1, whereupon it will drop through that notch, bringing the sliding member 24 into engagement with the upper surface of the horizontal slide member 3. During this introductory movement of the shelf, it will be noted that the downwardly directed lugs 3| will be in sliding engagement with the inner edge of the horizontal supporting part 3, thus preventing the rear end of the shelf contacting and scratching either of the supporting walls of the refrigerator. Thereafter, when it is desired to partially withdraw the shelf, it will be drawn straight forward, the front end of the shelf rolling upon the rollers I0 and the rear end of the shelf sliding with the slides 24 in contact with the upper face of the horizontal slide support 3, during which operation it will be noted that the outwardly directed lug 28 is positioned below the horizontal slide member 3 operating as a stop to prevent the tilting upwardly of the rear end of the shelf.

When the shelf is in its innermost position, the rear end 30 of the outwardly directed lug 28 will abut against the inwardly directed ear 8 of the supporting rail, thus preventing the shelf from being forced inwardly to scratch or mar the back wall of the refrigerator. l

In connection with the supporting rails for the shelf as herein described, it will be noted that in use the rollers IIJ and supporting lugs I8 need not be installed unless desired and without the rollers I0 and lugs I9 these supporting rails will provide satisfactory supports for a single stationary shelf. It will further be noted that if only the rollers I0 are applied, the device is complete for a gliding shelf structure without a stacomprising side members of inverted V-shape cross-section, said side members formed at their rear end with slide portions extending across the lower side of the side members adapted to ride on the slide faces of the slide rails, with outwardly directed lugs spaced beneath the slide portions of the slide members shaped to conform with and pass through the notches at the rear ends of the supporting rails.

4. In combination, supporting slide rails each having a horizontal slide face, said slide faces notched at each end, rollers mounted one at the front end of each slide rail with a portion of its perimeter projecting above the slide face, a gliding shelf comprising side members of inverted V-shape cross-section adapted to ride on said rollers, said'side members formed at their rear ends with slide portions extending across the lower side of the side members adapted to ride on the slide faces of the slide rails, withoutwardly directed lugs spaced beneath the slide portions of the side members shaped to conform with and pass through the notches in the rear ends of the slide rails.

5. In combination, shelf supports of angle cross-section, one horizontal face of each constituting a shelf support and gliding surface,

those parts of each support being notched at each end, the vertical part of each support adapted to be secured to spaced wall surfaces, with the rear ends of said parts bent outwardly to constitute stops and with spaced ears depending from the bottom edge, each of said ears having a threaded orifice, rollers rotatably mounted on screws secured in the forward ears, shelf supporting lugs secured on the other ears, a shelf having side members of inverted V-shape cross-section adapted to seat on said rollers', slide parts bridging the side members at the lower rear end of each side member with outwardly directed lugs carried by the rear end of each side member, said lugs shaped and proportioned to pass through the notches at the rear end of the shelf supports and arranged parallel with and spaced below the slide supports of the side shelf members, guide lugs extending downwardly from the rst mentioned lugs adapted to engage the inner bridging the lower side of said side shelf members at their rear ends adapted to slide on the upper slide surfaces of the fixed supports and retaining lugs carried by the rear ends of the side shelf members positioned parallel with and spaced below the said slide portions and adapted to slide on the said xed supports when the shelf is being introduced into the refrigerator and beneath said supports during normal operation o'f lo the shelf to prevent tilting of same.

HERBERT KUCKEL. 

